The documentary film THE GATE OF HEAVENLY PEACE interweaves into the story
of 1989 a number of major themes that are central to political debate in China.
These are debates that have been relevant for over a century, issues that
are still discussed today and that will be relevant to China's future. Some
of these themes are:

Democracy: The word democracy (minzhu) has meant many things
for many people in China. It was the main element of sloganeering in 1989,
observed by the student protesters more in its breach than application.

Reform and Revolution: Many complex political issues have been repeatedly
cast in terms of whether reforming the pre-existing system is better than
outright revolution and starting afresh.

Human Rights: The very definition of human rights continues to be
debated. Chinese authorities argue that Western values concerning human rights
are unsuited to Chinese tradition and reality. Some Westerners agree.

Making the News: Reporting the news about China has never been simple,
and in some cases myth-making has been useful to both sides. The Chinese authorities
created their version of reality, as did much of the Western media, and the
dissidents.

This site also contains the full manuscript of a previously unpublished book entitled
"On the Eve--China '89 Symposium, Bolinas California, 27-29 April, 1989".
"On the Eve" covers discussions about Chinese politics and culture at a major symposium of Chinese, U.S. and Australian writers on
the key issues faced in China in the late 1980s and 1990s. Organized by Orville Schell, Liu Baifang, and Hong Huang, this symposium
-- on the cusp of the 1989 Protest Movement in Beijing -- brought together prominent commentators for freewheeling debates. Each
section of the material is introduced by a leading academic in Chinese studies.